Fill 1 Created with Sketch.
hamburger
Medina  ·  Afghanistan

Why We Flee: Because We Are Shia, They Want to Destroy Us

I just want to live in a safe place where everyone can live in peace.

Writing by Twila Bird
Photography by Lindsay Silsby
Madina

Because we are Shia and the Taliban are Sunni, they want to destroy us. My sister was forced to marry into a Taliban family. They killed her.

I worked for eleven years as a hairdresser. I have a certificate. Last year a group of Pashtun (Sunni Muslims) came to our village and opposed me saying that for money I encouraged people to wear immodest, open clothes [because they had to take off their head coverings] and this was against Islam. They wanted me to close my hair salon and they attacked me. We had to leave but couldn’t stay to sell our things at a good price. Our uncle helped finance our escape.

We have six children. I just want to live in a safe place where everyone can live in peace, whether they be Shia, Sunni, Christian or whatever.

Informed Consent

Our team members obtain informed consent from each individual before an interview takes place. Individuals dictate where their stories may be shared and what personal information they wish to keep private. In situations where the individual is at risk and/or wishes to remain anonymous, alias names are used and other identifying information is removed from interviews immediately after they are received by TSOS. We have also committed not to use refugee images or stories for fundraising purposes without explicit permission. Our top priority is to protect and honor the wishes of our interview subjects.

What would you do if you had to leave everything behind?

By the end of 2025, more than 117.8 million people worldwide had been forcibly displaced by war, persecution, or human rights abuses — and 45 million of them are children.

They arrive in refugee camps and countries seeking safety and carrying little: legal papers, if they're lucky. A backpack. A child's hand in theirs.

What they carry that we can't see is heavier: fractured families, homes they'll never return to, professions they loved, friends and relatives they may never see again.

In a climate where immigrant stories are often ignored or twisted, we believe stories are a form of justice. When someone shares what they survived, they reclaim their voice. When we amplify it through film, photography, and advocacy, the world listens. Hearts soften. Policy begins to shift.

Because when a lawmaker sees a person instead of a statistic, and a neighbor understands instead of fears, rebuilding becomes possible.

Your support helps us share these stories where they matter most.

— Kristen Smith Dayley, Executive Director, Their Story is Our Story

Support Monthly Give Once
Add Impact to Your Inbox
Sign up for our emails to get inspiring stories and updates delivered straight to you.
Subscribe
© 2026 Their Story is Our Story Privacy Policy
Their Story is Our Story is a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization under the United States Internal Revenue Code. All donations are tax-deductible. Our tax identification number is 812983626.